Yonsei University selected for national project to cultivate convergence talent in humanities and social sciences

Yonsei University's Underwood International College and the Department of Integrated Design have been selected for the Ministry of Education's "Humanities and Social Sciences Convergence Talent Cultivation Project (HUSS)," a national initiative aimed at nurturing future leaders. The project seeks to cultivate individuals who can identify and solve complex problems in the rapidly evolving AI and digital era, grounded in a deep understanding of humanity and society.

As the lead institution, Yonsei will spearhead a consortium that includes Kongju National University, Dong-eui University, Ewha Womans University, and Handong Global University. Over the next three years, the project will receive a total budget of 8.7 billion won. The core educational philosophy will revolve around "Future Literacy" and "Human-Centered Design," integrating humanities, social sciences, design, and technology to create innovative learning experiences.

The program will focus on developing AI-driven project-based learning (PBL), collaborative curriculum development, and industry-linked projects. It also includes the creation of shared courses and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). A key emphasis is placed on enhancing human understanding and future-readiness beyond traditional humanities education, preparing students for challenges in the AI era.

Students will engage in diverse interdisciplinary curricula covering areas such as identifying societal issues, planning future scenarios, AI-based problem-solving, service and experience design, and digital storytelling. The participating universities will also jointly operate specialized fields like future media, human-AI interaction, social innovation, ethics and inclusivity, and data-based storytelling, fostering a collaborative educational ecosystem that transcends institutional boundaries. Professor Kang Yeon-ah, the project director at Yonsei, stated the goal is to support students in becoming convergence talents who design a human-centered future, not just utilize technology.

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As AI technology develops rapidly, the ability to deeply understand humans and society and to imagine the future and design new value is becoming more important. Through this project, we will support students to grow into convergence talents who design a human-centered future beyond simply utilizing technology.